July 16 2013

4:38 PM

Three major champions make up the featured group at the Sanderson Farms Championship, which begins Thursday at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss. With many TOUR players at The Open Championship, the Sanderson Farms Championship is an important opportunity for others to earn FedExCup points in advance of the playoffs. Here’s a look at some of the groups PGATOUR.COM will be watching:

David Toms-Davis Love III-Mike Weir: These three major champions tee off at 12:55 p.m. Thursday off the first tee. All three need to earn points before the Playoffs, as all three are ranked outside the top 160 in the FedExCup standings. Love III ranks 162nd, Weir is 166th and Toms is 169th.

Charlie Beljan-Michael Bradley-Rory Sabbatini: All three of these players have won in 2011 or later. Beljan dramatically won the finale of the 2012 season, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, while Bradley and Sabbatini both won in 2011. Bradley claimed his second Puerto Rico Open that year (he also won in 2009) and Sabbatini won the Honda Classic.

Sean O’Hair-Chris Kirk-Stuart Appleby: Kirk, the 2011 Sanderson Farms Championship winner, is joined by two fellow PGA TOUR winners. Appleby, a nine-time PGA TOUR winner, lost in a playoff to Ernie Els the last time The Open Championship was at Muirfield, the site of this year’s championship. O’Hair’s fourth PGA TOUR victory came at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open. All three of these players will have their eyes on the FedExCup points list as well. Kirk is 26th and looking to qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for the first time. O’Hair (158th) and Appleby (132nd) are both outside the top 125.